By the time the 2010-11 regular season came to a close, Rose was the clear favorite to win the MVP Award. But at the beginning of the season no one really considered him a candidate for the league’s most prestigious award, no one except for Rose that is.

“The way I look at it, within myself, why can’t I be the MVP of the league?” Rose said back in September. “Why can’t I be the best player in the league? Why? Why can’t I do that?”

On Monday, Rose, Thibodeau and the Bulls began their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup with the Atlanta Hawks. This is the first time the Bulls have reached the second round of the playoffs since the 2006-07 season.